This is an exclusive interview with Jtown Top personality number one.
Grace Jerry is a disability rights advocate, Peace promoter and music
artiste working to create an inclusive world where everyone counts.
Within the last few years Grace has brought freshness to advocacy
efforts in Nigeria through her unique blend of passion and music
bringing prominence to the important roles Persons with disabilities can
play in National development.
Read about what grace had to say about herself and her world
Introduction:
My name is Grace Jerry and am from Benue state Otukpo local Government. I was born in Jos plateau state and have lived in Jos for almost all
my life. Am a lover of people, i enjoy traveling and meeting people
Educational Background?
I have a background in law from the university of Jos, I also attended
police children school Jos for my primary and secondary education respectively and currently,
am studying for a Degree at the Nigerian Open University
Basic Daily activities?
Am either putting together a work plan or working on a song and also counseling people and general interaction with people I don’t stay Idle
as am a workaholic my life is basically about work.
Your General view about Life?
I feel rather than focus on myself and consider only my affairs or take
my matters too serious, we should Channel our strength and focus on
people and trying as much as we can to make the world a better place.
So that everyone around me can experience some sort of sweetness as I
seek to add more color to my world shifting my focus to impacting
others.
What is the motivation for what you do?
Everything I do is an inspiration from within and a few people I have
around me. I live a life of challenge so much that I see people around
go through the same thing and I say if I can pass that in my life I can
also help others pass through that Challenge. I work with government,
with partners and depend on donors and I also come up with unique and
innovative ways of solving problems.
Trying to use music as a tool to advocate, convince, build and talk about issues of human rights.
Talking About Inclusive Friends:
Inclusive Friends is an organization for persons with disability by
persons with disability with the aim of bringing issues of disability to
the core front by way of advocacy, music campane and action. And we
promote inclusion in the area of water sanitation and hygiene, peace
building income and livelihood generation, inclusive education were
people with disability will live a normal and active life
I work as a team leader Its a team of very passionate people with
disability and people without disability who are passionate about
creating an inclusive world
More About Your self?
Apart from my work as a disability rights advocate I am also a recording
artist, infact I started as a music artist, I grew up in a music family
and that has been my number one passion until I realised that there can
be more than God has given me a voice so its now music and advocacy as a
tool for social growth
Who are your mentors?:
I look up to a few people for their daily advice, mentor-ship and I also
draw inspiration from the people around me that I work with and those I
work for, I advocate for 25.5milion Nigerians living with disability.
What is Your Drive for what you Do?
Nothing drives me more than the possibility of Inclusive world where
persons with disabilities are treated with dignity. Despite our huge
demographic amounting to about 25.5million
In Nigeria yet people with disabilities are still perceived as less
humans in need of social protection. It hurts me that my society places
impairments above my abilities. Everyday I want to do my best using my
skills and energy to dismantle barriers to faced by persons with
disabilities in my community. I believe in equality of all persons with
or without disability and I see us making that possible in Nigeria too.
That is what drives me
What Do you see as a challenge?
The only time I think about challenges is when I cant access my
environment because of architectural barriers. I remember the recent
YALI experience, I traveled to the US, spent weeks there attending
events all by myself. I didn’t need an aid because the have an accessible
environment. Here in Nigeria i cant even access my bathroom, go the
places i want to because everything around tells me people with
disabilities are not active members of their communities. Take the
barriers away and persons with disabilities will be empowered to fulfill
their potentials in life. Take discrimination and stigmatization away,
you will be amazed as the great heights persons with disabilities will
attain in life.
TO BE CONTINUED…
WATCH OUT FOR PART 2 OF THE INTERVIEW AS SHE TALKS ABOUT MEETING THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT AND ALSO A BRIEF MASSAGE TO YOUTHS
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